Sound Transit continues to deal with rising construction costs and a $34.5 billion deficit, which has now led them to consider delaying some projects in order to address the deficit.
One of those projects is the light rail extension into Everett, which was originally slated for 2036 but could be pushed back to 2037-2041. News that isn’t sitting well with Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin.
“And that’s unacceptable because that only increased our costs,” Franklin said.
The City of Everett held a town hall on Tuesday on transportation and extension being delayed by Sound Transit. Franklin says hundreds attended the meeting and passions ran high. She says this has been something the people of Everett have wanted for 30 years.
“There’s 35,000 people that work in and around Boeing and Aerospace. It’s a major job center. And we need to get people to that job center,” Franklin said.
One person who attended the town hall was Randy Bolerjack, who wore a shirt that read “Light Rail to Everett” on the front and “Light Rail to Everett….in our lifetime” on the back of his shirt.
“And as I walked in, someone asked gosh is that from 1996? Because we’ve been having the same conversation as we try to get the spine created from Tacoma to Everett,” Bolerjack said.
Bolerjack says he’s been wanting the light rail to Everett for years. He believes it will not only benefit the city, but the region.
“And it’s not just going from Everett to Seattle. It’s getting around everywhere in Snohomish County,” Bolerjack said.
Mayor Franklin says while it is frustrating to have to keep demanding Sound Transit to stay true to their word, she knows this is what the people of Everett want.
“It will get to Everett because we have to complete the spine. The spine is light rail regionally connectivity,” Franklin said. “And as mayor of Everett, I have to advocate for our residents that rely on public transportation to ensure that they have the system that’s going to get them to the job centers across the region,” she continued.
A spokesperson with Sound Transit shared this statement about the potential delays and frustration from people impacted by them:
“So many people advocating for light rail in their communities demonstrates that high-capacity transit is valued in the Puget Sound region. We recognize and share the strong desire to keep projects moving forward.
Sound Transit, like many agencies across the country, faces escalating costs. We project that if we do nothing, cost escalation and lower projected revenues will make the expansion program unaffordable starting in the 2030s.
To proactively address the estimated $34.5 billion needed to fully fund the ST3 program approved by voters, Sound Transit launched the Enterprise Initiative. This is a comprehensive, holistic approach to solving affordability challenges that considers all agency costs, including system and project planning, capital construction, service operations, system maintenance, and potential revenue sources to plan a sustainable path forward.
Following last month’s Board retreat, a range of potential cost-saving measures and program adjustments have been identified. The Board is expected to consider these options in the coming months, with decisions anticipated in May or June on how to move forward.” Amy Enbsyk said.
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